Kernel Log: Coming in 3.2 (Part 3) - Architecture

In keeping with the usual weekly release rhythm, Linus Torvalds issued the fourth release candidate of Linux 3.2 last Friday. It contains fewer changes than the two previous RCs, and Torvalds said that "things really are calming down pretty nicely", adding that it is even "suspiciously quiet." With the development of Linux 3.2 in progress, the Kernel Log is continuing its "Coming in 3.2" mini series. After describing the advancements in the kernel's network driver and infrastructure areas and those relating to filesystems, we will now cover the changes relating to the kernel's architecture and processor support; in the coming weeks, further articles will discuss the kernel's infrastructure and drivers.

Optimised encryption and decryption

An additional SHA1 implementation for x86-64 CPUs is designed to allow the hash algorithm to achieve higher throughputs by using SSE3 or AVX commands; according to the developer's measurement results, the implementation increased an IPSec connection's throughput on a Core 2 Quad from 344 to 464 Mbits/s.